RPAS Procedures and Phraseology for Data Link Loss at Airports

Abstract

Increasing demand for drones or remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) and their applications, e.g. monitoring of infrastructure or transport of goods, likewise demands for a structured integration into the existing airspace used by conventional traffic. Integration and management of smaller drones in lower airspace is investigated by U-space, the initiative of SESAR Joint Undertaking to ensure safe and secure integration of drones in Europe [1]. The non-segregated integration of RPAS traffic into the existing Air Traffic Management structure, especially at and around airports, is still an open task, which is investigated by the INVIRCAT project. The project aims at developing a concept of operations for RPAS in terminal manoeuvring areas and airports under instrument flight rules. Furthermore, the project assesses this concept through real-time simulations, and drafts a set of requirements and recommendations for rule-makers and standardization bodies.One part of the simulation activities of INVIRCAT has been performed at DLR premises in November 2021. The simulation at DLR focused on the arrival of instrument flights at an international airport, in this case Düsseldorf airport (EDDL). A baseline traffic scenario has been constructed based on recorded traffic at EDDL from 2019, with approximately 35 arrival movements per hour, combining unmanned and conventional aircraft. Up to three selected aircraft have then been replaced by remotely piloted aircraft systems, and RPAS-specific scenario events have been injected, such as data communication loss or high latency on the data communication link. This yielded a total of eight scenarios available for simulation purpose.

Preliminary Validation Results of a Novel Concept of Operations for RPAS Integration in TMA and at Airports

“…In general, the simulated C2 link and R/T latencies were hardly noticed by the actors [4] [5]. Especially R/T latency was not considered to be an issue, given the fact that also in manned aviation responses are not always on time.…”